Dear Little One, People might have thought your dad and I were crazy to have you when we did. When I got pregnant with you, I was in the final year of my master’s degree, your dad had just started his new job, and we were about to move to China. Maybe we were a…
Our Newest Adventure
Times have changed and it’s time for an update.
Dragon Boating
There is a holiday in China called Dragon Boat Festival. Particularly in South China, it is celebrated (how else?) with Dragon Boat Races. It’s exciting and impressive to watch, and even more fun to do… or so I thought.
Cherries and the Qiang
The buildings are unique, unlike anything else in China I’ve seen. The village is several thousand years old, but I believe that it was heavily damaged in the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, and has been almost entirely reconstructed.
The Less Traveled Path to Preah Vihear, Cambodia
On a cliff on the border between Thailand and Cambodia sits an ancient temple called Preah Vihear. It has been extremely dangerous to visit as Thailand and Cambodia have fought over who it belongs to; however, a few years ago it was declared safe after it was declared part of Cambodia. We were in the area, so we…
Third Trimester Travel: Why Not?
“Why not?” I recommend asking yourself that question the next time you are presented with an application, a trip, a job, or anything unexpected that just might turn out to be totally awesome. I asked that question when faced with the opportunity to travel around Japan at 30 weeks pregnant. I went, and it was exhausting,…
Mugged By a Monkey (and other tales of Thailand)
Mugged By a Monkey During our journey through Erawan Falls, we got a chance to meet a monkey. He was sitting atop a tree at the seventh and final waterfall of the hike. We decided to go for a swim in the waterfall, but wanted to be cautious and put my purse inside Jarek’s backpack…
How To Be An Expat Wife (for beginners)
“You’re going to Thailand? What will you be doing there?” “We are going for my husband’s internship for political science. We are really excited!” “Oh. So what are you going to be doing in Thailand?” Good question, isn’t it? I think it is a question that fills the lives of many expat spouses. What on…
Friends Across Fences
I was invited by an incredible lady that I met at church to accompany her to the Immigration Detention Center in Bangkok. I wasn’t sure exactly what we would be doing, but I agreed to go. As we drove to the center I asked for a little more clarification on who these people were and why…
Meditation 100
Last week we took a meditation class from a Buddhist monk. I have been doing yoga consistently for two years now and was really excited for the challenge – and it was a challenge. First he taught us how to do walking meditation, something I didn’t even know existed. You are supposed to focus on…